Redemption
by Buretsu
Summary: Sequel to Bad Moon on the Rise. Shortly after the death of Rika and Renamon, the truth of that night threatens to emerge. Chapter 3 up, 5-13-05
1. The Beginning

"Police are still searching for clues in the case of a slain local girl," the TV in the store window reports. Outside, lightning snakes down from the sky and rain streams in rivulets down the window. A figure passing by stops and looks at the continuing broadcast. "One week ago, the body of Rika Nonaka, age 14, was discovered in a park, a blanket draped over her body. The police have been unwilling to release any details regarding cause of death, but we will bring you more details as they become available…"

A picture of Rika appears on the screen briefly as the report is being given, and the figure places a hand on the glass as near to it as possible. The picture fades, but the figure lingers in front of the store before passing on. If there had been more souls nearby, they might have noticed that the hand was less than ordinary. They might have noticed that there were only three fingers, or that they were more like claws.

Pulling its coat tighter around its body, the figure continues towards its next location as the rain continues to fall.

Elsewhere, a large group of people is drier than the figure, huddling under several large black umbrellas. Their clothes as well are black, and the mood is quite solemn. All are gathered there to witness the final rites for a young woman taken before her prime. Takato and Henry stand with their families as well as Rika's family. Rumiko, Rika's mother, is sobbing uncontrollably as her mother, Seiko, attempts to give what comfort she can.

"Why…" Rika's mother sobs. "Why did it have to be her? Who could have done this?"

Takato has to forcibly keep himself from shaking, as he wants to tell her the truth that only a few souls, himself and Henry included, knew. More than anything, he wants to tell everybody the whole, terrible truth leading up to Rika's death. He wants to reveal everything about the strange affliction that turned Rika into an uncontrollable huntress, and her subsequent death at the hands of Renamon.

He wants to, but he can't, because he knows little good would come from such an unbelievable tale, no matter how true it may be. He glances over to Henry, and finds himself meeting the other boy's gaze. Takato knows that Henry is feeling much the same way, but he makes no outward showing.

Nodding almost imperceptibly, Henry turns his head back towards the proceedings, and Takato does the same. He scans the faces of the crowd, recognizing many familiar faces, as well as several he does not know. Glancing past these faces, Takato sees something else which peaks his curiosity, namely a figure whose form is obscured in a long coat. A sudden bolt of lighting lights the scene and Takato blinks reflexively. When his eyes focus again, the figure is gone, and Takato shakes his head to clear the image.

The ceremony soon ends, as the coffin is slowly lowered into the grave, and Takato bids one final farewell to the fiercely proud girl he had been honored to call a friend. He only wishes that the secret he holds would be buried with the body. "Rest in peace, Rika."

As Takato leaves with his parents, a voice calls out to them. "Mr. and Mrs. Matsuki?"

"Yes?" Takato's father asks turning around. "Can I help you?"

A tall, lanky man in a black rain slicker runs up to the three of them, feet kicking up water from the ground. His face, if unremarkable, is pleasant enough, though his eyes seem quite piercing. He stops in front of them and bows respectfully. "My name is Detective Moriyuki with the Shinjuku police. I would like to speak with your son Takato. I understand that he was one of Ms. Nonaka's closest friends?"

Takato's dad looks down at him, and Takato nods. "I'll do anything I can to help," he lies. In reality, he had hoped that he would not have to answer any questions, as the majority of the responses he would have to give would be more lies.

"I appreciate it," the detective replies, oblivious. "Come, let's get out of this rain."

Takato, wishing everything would be over as quickly as possible, follows the detective along with his family towards a large meeting hall in the main building. As he enters, he sees that they were not the only ones approached by the detective. In fact, Henry and his parents are there along with Rika's mother and grandmother.

"First of all," the detective announces, "I'd like to extend my deepest condolences on all of your loss. From what I understand, Rika was a fine young lady. Now, as you may be aware, no details have been released so far. Unfortunately, the truth happens to be that we have very few details. As the Nonaka family was informed shortly after the body was discovered, the cause of death was a single knife wound to the heart. We believe the weapon responsible to be a dagger found near her body."

"The problem is that, besides that, we have absolutely nothing to go on. A test of the dagger showed neither finger prints or DNA evidence, nothing. Maybe you can help," the detective tells Takato and Henry. "You were the two closest to her. Can you think of anybody who might have had reason to kill her? Any enemies?"

Henry shakes his head no. "Rika really didn't have any enemies. For that matter, she really didn't have many friends," he says truthfully. "With her, you were either her friend or you weren't."

"Hmm," the detective replies thoughtfully. "Well, does anyone know if she was romantically involved with anybody?"

"Not that she told me," Rumiko answers. "Why do you ask?"

"Well," the detective begins hesitantly, "there was some evidence of recent sexual activity."

Rumiko claps her hand to her mouth to cover a loud gasp. "Y-you don't mean, she…"

"No!" the detective says quickly to allay her fears. "No, there was no evidence of sexual assault. Actually, the evidence seemed to support a consensual same sex lover."

"I… don't know if that's a relief or not," Rumiko manages to say. "I… don't think she would have told me even if she was seeing another girl."

"And you?" the detective asks the boys. "Did she tell you anything about that?"

"No," Takato answers truthfully. "She never told us a thing." Rika had never told them that she was involved with Renamon, but they had managed to find out. Henry nods in agreement.

"Hmmm," the detective repeats his comment from earlier. "Well," he says, getting to his feet. "If you can remember anything- and I do mean anything- that might be of help, contact me." Pulling business cards out of his breast pocket, he hands one to each of the parents. "If anything new comes from our end, we'll let you know. Until then…" He pulls his rain slicker back on, bows slightly and makes his departure.

Takato lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding and watches the man go. His father places a reassuring hand on his shoulder, but it only serves to deepen the guilt he feels inside. A look to Henry, however, and Takato relaxes slightly in response to his friend's clear resolve. "Come on son," his father says. "Let's go home." Takato nods dumbly, but turns at the door.

"I'm glad to have known Rika," Takato says as the first thing that comes to mind. "I'm just sorry that everything ended up this way." Almost immediately, he regrets it, as Rika's mother begins to sob again.


	2. Meeting in the Park

A figure in a coat makes its way through the dark alleyways of the town, avoiding as much human contact as possible. The shadows are long and dark, perfect for hiding in, perfect save the fact that its vision pierced even the shadow. Because of this, the figure is not surprised when three men step out of where they thought they were hidden.

"Looky what we got here," one of the men leers, as he and his fellows surround the figure. "Alone, at night, and in an alley." He laughs sharply, and his companions join in. "You might as well be yelling, 'Rob me, rob me!'"

The figure lets out a sigh, as it had hoped to avoid situations like this. "I'm not in the mood for this," it says.

"Oh-ho!" the leader exclaims. "And it's a girly too. Well, well, looks like we got a double prize."

"Hey, c'mon," one of the others leers, advancing on the figure. "Let's see what you've got under that coat."

"If you insist," she replies, amusement evident in her voice. She then reaches up to her hood, and the men get their first hint that they got more than they had bargained for when they see her clawed hands. They shy away from this, but what they see when she pulls back the hood causes them to flee screaming into the night.

The figure replaces her hood with a sigh, and continues walking. Fortunately, the screams echo through the alleys, and not one single thug harasses her further, which suits her just fine.

* * *

Detective Moriyuki returns to the police station later that night, little the wiser from his talks with the families. He collapses into the seat behind his desk with a loud sigh, and puts his feet up.

"What a night, eh?" he asks nobody in particular.

"You have no idea," one of his fellow officers responds. "Got an interesting report."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Apparently, these three thugs came screaming out of the alley like all the forces of hell were after them. Ran into one of our officers and began explaining that 'it' was after them. Seems they were trying to rob some woman in a trench coat, but they got a bit of a surprise when she lowered her hood."

"That ugly?" Moriyuki laughed.

"You have no idea. Well, remember that weird creature from a week ago?"

"Yeah, how could I forget." The detective's feet slip off the desk as he puts two and two together. "You don't mean…"

"Sure do."

"Well, don't that just beat all," Moriyuki chuckles. "The damn thing kills one drug dealer, and all of a sudden every two-bit thug and punk sees it all over the place."

"Hey, any luck in the Nonaka case?" the officer asks Moriyuki.

"I wish," the detective grumbles. "No more facts than when I started. She didn't have many friends, but she didn't exactly have any enemies either. Nobody knew if she had a lover either."

"Hmm. A bust, then?"

"Well," Moriyuki said, leaning forward. "I wouldn't exactly say that. Now, mind you, I don't have anything solid. But… I'm getting the distinct impression that the two friends know a whole lot more than they're telling, especially that Matsuki kid. I'll have to keep my eye on him…"

* * *

Meanwhile, behind the shed that serves as Guilmon's home, a second service is being held for the other life lost that fateful night two weeks ago. Around a small pile of dirt, Takato, Henry and Guilmon pay their last respects to Renamon, the strong and beautiful warrior who tragically took her own life after being forced to end Rika's.

"I don't know how long I can keep this up," Takato says to Henry, head in his hands. "I just can't stand knowing but not being able to say anything. I feel like I'll explode if I don't tell someone."

"I know what you mean," Henry replies, placing his hands over his friend's. "But, really, nothing good would come of saying anything. Hell, I doubt if anybody would even believe us even if we did tell. I… I have trouble believing it myself, and I was there…"

"I suppose you're right," Takato reluctantly agrees, looking up into his friend's eyes. "But, this may never be over. They won't stop trying to find Rika's killer… And her mother…"

"I wish there was another way," Henry replies. "I really do. But, the fact is; there isn't another way. They'll think we're crazy, or even worse, guilty."

"Takato…" Guilmon growls, disrupting the conversation. "There's a Digimon coming…"

"What?" Takato asks dumbly, looking to his partner. "Oh, why now? Come on, I guess we'd better go."

* * *

A rush of fog-like particles bursts forth from the ground, spewing high into the air and spreading around the area. For those who know, it signals that another Wild One is about to materialize in the Real World. The Digital Field quickly swallows up a large section of the park downtown, but most who observe it from a distance dismiss it as simple fog.

Normally, nobody would be in such a far-off section of the park, but one figure is there to witness the event, a figure in a long trench coat. She barely flinches as the blast of the final surge passes through the cloud and the Digimon fully bioemerges.

"Well," it says once it is stable. "I didn't expect to find prey so soon."

She looks the newcomer up and down, noting especially its twin bokken, a pair of wooden swords that cut as if they were stronger than steel. Even if it weren't for the Digimon's trademark weapons, she recognizes it easily as a Yasyamon. She sighs loudly. "You're not even worth my time."

Yasyamon seethes as she turns her back on him, and he steps forward threateningly. "What? You dare take me so lightly?"

"The others are more than a match for you." She turns her head to the side to see Takato, Guilmon and Henry rushing onto the scene. "Ahh, here they are now. I must be leaving."

Yasyamon trembles with rage as the figure nonchalantly walks away. "How dare you… How dare you! Double Strike!" Raising his twin bokken above his head, he slices down in a blur, sending twin shockwaves towards the figures retreating back.

"Look out!" Takato cries. His look of panic quickly turns to one of shock, as the attack passes through the empty air where the figure had been. Everything seems to move in slow motion to Takato as the figure deftly flips backwards, avoiding the attacks and landing behind Yasyamon.

Shocked by the sudden movement, the armored Champion brings up one sword and attempts a spinning slash to the figure's neck. One of the figure's hands, however, catches the turning arm, while the other punches easily through Yasyamon's chest.

Yasyamon's mouth opens, but no sound comes out as his body dissolves back into the data that had formed it. The data quickly dissipates as if it had never actually been there, leaving nothing but the figure.

"Who…" Takato begins, but his mind flashes to the display of acrobatics that the figure had displayed. "No, what are you?"

The figure turns her head to regard Takato, but he only catches shadowy glimpses of what's under the hood. "I am nothing," the figure answers simply before leaping back into the night, denying any attempt to discover its identity.

"Damn," Takato curses. "Did you manage to see anything, Henry?"

"No," the blue-haired boy responds. "But… it almost feels like I know whoever it was…"

* * *

Quite some distance away, the figure in the trench coat crouches in an alley, examining the clawed hand she used to defeat the Yasyamon. "Damn it all," she curses softly, flexing her hand into a fist. "I have to be more careful. If they find out who I am, things would only get worse. And that…" she says, trailing off as she stands up, "that… is what I hate the most!"

With a cry of rage, she punches the solid brick of the nearby building, reducing a section of the wall to small chunks and a small cloud of dust. Her fist still amidst the broken bricks, she leans forward, breathing heavily, eyes wide and wild.

"You must not give in to your anger, child," a voice admonishes, causing the figure to whirl around. "It is the surest path towards darkness."

Shocked that she did not detect anybody's approach, the figure collects itself and is just about to flee back into the night when she gets her first good look at just who is coming. He is man, tall and slender, cloaked in a long, dark coat, with a face almost more suited for a hunting dog than a human being. Even so, his appearance would be nothing spectacular, were it not for the fact that the falling rain does not touch him.

"M-my lord!" the figure says quickly, dropping to one knee out of reverence. "Forgive me."

"Rise," the man commands firmly. "I have no need for such gestures, nor do they suit one such as you."

The figure rises quickly, but still keeps her face pointed to the ground. "You have come to check on me?"

"As you say," he answers, inclining his head slightly. "I can not say as I am pleased."

"My lord?"

"You are too attached to your old world. Bear in mind that, no matter what comes of all this, it is forever behind you."

"I… I know that," the figure says softly. "But, seeing them all again… and not letting them see me… It just… I-it… it hurts!" She squeezes her eyes shut trying to keep her tears in, but they begin to slip past her defenses.

The man silently slips forward, drawing the figure into a comforting embrace, arms and coat folding around her body. Hot tears run down her cheeks, the only moisture touching the man's shoulder.

"I can feel your anguish, my child," the man says softly. "But the harsh truth is that you must bear it… For the sake of both of your souls…"


	3. Trouble at Rika's House

The next day sees Takato and Henry meeting again, discussing the bizarre events of the previous day. Foremost on their minds is the appearance and subsequent easy defeat of Yasyamon by the mysterious figure.

"How long has it been since the last Digimon appeared?" Takato asks rhetorically. "Two weeks?"

"Yeah, and the one that does show up gets beaten as if it were nothing," Henry adds. "Which brings up the question of who exactly was that under that coat? No human could have beaten a Digimon, especially not as easily as that."

Takato closes his eyes, searching his memory. "There was something about that person… Like I've seen him before…"

"Really?" Henry starts. "Think hard… Concentrate…"

"Where was that… I know I saw him before… That's it!" Takato opens his eyes suddenly. "The funeral! I saw him at Rika's funeral!"

"What?" Henry asks, shocked. "Are you sure? I sure didn't see anything like him there."

"I'm positive he was there. He was off in the distance though, and I only saw him for a second before he disappeared."

"That makes no sense," Henry says, turning away in a mix of confusion and frustration. "Why would someone like that be at Rika's funeral? Unless they somehow knew her, but… It can't be…" He trails off, eyes widening in shock.

"It can't be?" Takato prompts, grabbing Henry's shoulder. "Can't be what?"

"It can't be…" Henry whirls around to stare directly into Takato's eyes. "Renamon!"

"Renamon?" Takato says, echoing Henry. "It can't be her! She's dead! She killed herself!"

"Did she?" Henry asks. "We don't know that for sure. From what she said, we can't be one-hundred percent sure. Logic says…"

"To hell with your logic!" Takato snaps. Henry recoils from Takato's response and is at a loss for words, causing Takato expression to soften. "I… I didn't mean it like that… I-it's just… If I had done… what Renamon was forced to do… Destroy what meant everything to me with my own hands… I…"

"Takato…" Henry says, laying a comforting arm on Takato's shoulder and drawing him in closer.

"I… don't want to know anyone… who could keep on living… after doing something like that," Takato finishes, tears starting to brim at the corners of his closed eyes. "Renamon… There's no way… she's like that…"

"You're right," Henry concedes. "You're absolutely right…"

Despite this, however, the logical part of his brain refuses to simply let the idea go.

"Let's… just forget about it," Takato suggests, blinking away the last of the tears. "No matter what, we still have to find… whoever it is. How do you find someone who doesn't want to be found?"

"Well, if we assume… at least some connection to Rika," Henry says carefully, "then whoever it is will likely show up someplace close to Rika."

"Well… I guess a good place to try would be her house," Takato suggests, and Henry nods in agreement.

* * *

Through a window, the figure in the coat looks on as Rika's mother tries to continue on with what is left of her life. Rumiko attempts to keep herself busy, working to clean the entire house until it is clear of any trace of dust. There is one room, however, that she refuses to enter, let alone clean. She steers clear of the room that Rika used to live in, both to prevent disturbing any small thing that might give a clue as to who took her life as well as preventing her from bursting into uncontrollable sobs.

What's worse, however, are the dreams she has had of Rika, terrible dreams that always end in the same way, darkness. Until the one who has taken her daughter away is found, she knows that she will never be able to come to terms with her loss. This fact is not lost on who has been Rumiko's continual observer, though she knows that such a day will likely not come. A sound catches her attention from down the street and she turns to face it, never leaving her perch in the tree. She is rather surprised to see that it is Takato and Henry, trying to act as casual as possible as they walk toward Rika's house.

She briefly tries to ponder why they would show up, and the possibility that it's just a coincidence that they happen to be there when she is. Listening carefully, she can hear snatches of conversation between the two boys.

"…eyes open…" she can hear Henry say. "…might…here…"

"…really think… ?" Takato asks.

It is enough to confirm the figure's fear that they have figured out at least something about her connection to Rika. It is then that, more than ever, she regrets appearing at the funeral. As the two boys approach the house, she freezes in the tree, hoping that they won't notice her. As long as she remains perfectly still and quiet, they should have no chance. Just then, she hears another loud noise approaching quickly, and she realizes that it is the sound of a car coming up the street. Takato and Henry notice it too and resume their casual walk.

Much to everybody's surprise, the car pulls to a stop across the street from Rika's house, and a tall man steps out and calls out to Takato and Henry.

"Well, hello boys!" he calls out.

"Oh, uh, hello, Mr. Moriyuki," Takato calls back.

It only takes a second for the name to register in the figure's mind as that of the detective assigned to Rika's case. Is this a coincidence, she wonders, or…

"Didn't expect to see you two here," Moriyuki says. "What's up?"

Although his voice seems friendly enough, the figure notes that it is not without the hint of more than simple interest. As well, his smile, although outwardly friendly, betrays further his suspicion, at least to the figure observing everything. In her hidden perch, the figure tenses, worried that the detective might draw the wrong conclusion as to what the two boys know.

"Yeah, well," Takato answers, "we didn't really expect to be here."

"Yup," Henry agrees. "We thought that, maybe, if we took a walk it might help to clear our minds."

"Ahh, of course," Moriyuki nods. Suspicion, the figure notes. Definitely. "Has it helped any?"

"It just…" Takato pauses, "brings up some painful memories. Nothing useful, though."

"Hrm, I see," Mr. Moriyuki responds. "Well, I'm sure you're trying your best. As for me, I plan to take one more long look at the young lady's room, see if there's anything that the others missed."

"Well, good luck with that," Henry smiles faintly. He takes a couple of steps before turning to Takato. "Shall we go?"

"Right," Takato nods, taking several quick steps to catch up with his friend.

"Later!" Detective Moriyuki calls after them.

"Whatever you do," Henry whispers to Takato as they walk, "don't look backwards."

Catching Henry's tone, Takato resists the natural urge to look behind him. "Why not," he asks, whispering back.

"Because, that detective is watching us go. I can almost feel his eyes on the back of my head. I think he might suspect something."

"Like… what?" Takato asks, starting to sweat uncomfortably.

"At the least, he might suspect the truth, that we know more than we're telling anyone."

"At the least?" Takato repeats.

"He also… might suspect that… it was one or both of us that killed Rika."

"Damn," Takato mutters. "I guess we're going to have to be super careful. Damn…"

* * *

From her perch, the figure watches the two boys walk away as well as the detective watching them carefully. He is more shrewd than she would have hoped. The fur on the back of her neck rises with irritation that the situation is getting more complicated than she had ever anticipated. She only wishes that she could do something to help, but any intervention on her part could prove disastrous.

The only problem is that she cannot think of a single way to resolve the situation. Nobody can truly be satisfied until Rika's 'murderer' is found, and yet, no human was responsible for the girl's death. Without revealing her identity, the one thing that is absolutely forbidden, the truth could not come out. The dilemma was how to save two guilty souls without sacrificing one or both innocent souls. Going to him for advice would avail her nothing, previous attempts had only resulted in her questions being turned back upon her. No, she has to think of something on her own.

* * *

After a brief discussion with Rika's mother, Detective Moriyuki slides open the shoji door leading into Rika's room. If he didn't know better, he wouldn't have recognized it as a girl's room, at least, not a normal fourteen-year-old girl's room. A simple futon sits near the center of the room, and the furnishing is sparse with only a couple of tables and a chest of drawers. At least it makes searching that much easier.

The chest of drawers turns up nothing out of the ordinary, just stacks of freshly washed clothes, clothes which couldn't produce evidence. He finds a box of cards which he recognizes as the Digimon card game, which isn't surprising either, as he knows Rika is... was... a former champion.

Finding nothing of interest, he moves over to the futon on the floor and pulls back the sheets. A faint, yet familiar, scent hits his nose, and the detective smiles with remembrance before snapping back to the case. "Well, well, Miss Nonaka," he says softly to himself. "Right under your mother's nose..." It's then that his eye catches something else, and he pulls out tweezers and a plastic bag. What he picks up is a small, yellow, fiber. He puts it in the bag, sealing it tight.

Of the facts that have not been released to the public for investigation purposes, Moriyuki remembers, the most perplexing is several similar fibers found on the blanket that had been draped over the girl's body. They have been sent to a lab to be analyzed, but the results aren't in yet.

But, what can it mean? When she was found, she had no clothes to carry the fibers to the scene. Rika's mother didn't recognize the blanket discovered with the body, so that was no good either. The initial thought was that the fiber was animal fur, but it was strange that an identical one would show up at her house, especially since she's never had more than a goldfish as a pet.

But, does that mean that the body was moved from her house to the park where she was found? No, that doesn't fit either. There would certainly be witnesses if that had happened. The only logical conclusion is that the fiber traveled with the murderer and... that the killer had been in her room. Rika knew her killer... The list of likely suspects in Moriyuki's head narrows quickly. Depending on the analysis of the fibers, he'll be able to ask some more serious questions.

"Matsuki..."


End file.
